Executive Summary

• This study tests the impact of Newsela Writing on writing outcomes in a racially diverse sample of 1,233 middle school students (grades 6-8).

• Students completed assignments on Newsela Writing approximately once every 3-4 weeks.
  • Newsela Writing was implemented in all classes, from core subjects to those less frequently associated with writing, like physical education.

• Students who completed more Newsela Writing assignments scored higher on their end-of-year ELA assessment than students completing fewer assignments, with the average student seeing an 18-point boost to their overall ELA score.

• For every 5 to 6 assignments a student completes, their writing sub-score can be expected to go up by 10%.

• This study meets the ESSA standards for Tier III (Promising) evidence.

Insight's from District Implementation

• In response to a statewide mandate on writing aligned to the science of reading, the district created an initiative to ensure writing practice across the curriculum. In other words, every single class—including physical education—had to incorporate writing into their weekly lesson plans.

• The district rolled out Newsela Writing across subjects to better equip teachers in providing helpful feedback to students. Teachers in every subject began using the product regularly, with many using it once a week or more.

• Many teams began using the reporting in Newsela Writing not just for independent practice and student-facing feedback, but to identify trends and target specific areas of need in each class.

“We started using Newsela articles as a way for kids to have an independent practice that was at the appropriate level for them. We then paired those articles with an assignment on Newsela Writing so we were giving kids something they could practice independently, and that teachers knew would be at the right level to support their growth,” shared one instructional coach. “The big selling point for teachers was that all assignments were aligned to the same rubric used in our state testing. That meant kids were getting feedback on that rubric and getting valuable writing practice consistently throughout the school year. Teachers responded really well to it.”

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For more details on how to replicate this success in your own district, download the full study.